SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A U.S. Navy fighter jet was still in the San Diego Bay Friday after it had crashed two days ago. The U.S. Navy informed ABC 10News it may take two weeks to get the entire jet and debris out of the bay. They're asking the public to stay clear of the area as they continue the recovery effort.
Navy divers jumped into the San Diego Bay near Shelter Island, searching for what remains of the E/A-18 G Growler jet that nosedived into the harbor on Wednesday. Its pilots safely ejected to the water and were rescued by a nearby fishing boat.
People lined the shores hoping to see more, but will have to wait another day. The Navy says poor weather has delayed their efforts to remove the plane.
Contractors at R.E. Staite Engineering know what it’s like to retrieve an aircraft from the bay.
Its crews helped remove the Navy’s MH-60R helicopter after it crashed into the harbor in Jan. 2024.
I called one manager who told me what the process could look like. He says the Navy usually does a 3D scan underwater to understand what pieces they're working with. If the parts are large enough, contractors might use a floating crane to pick them up.
He says recent windy weather can make that operation too dangerous. In the meantime, members of the military are picking up broken pieces of the plane that are washing on shore at Kellogg's Beach. The Navy warned others to avoid touching or collecting that debris because it could be hazardous.
The Navy still had a portion of the Shelter Island Basin blocked off to the public as of Friday evening. But if boats fit through its buoys, the Navy was letting them in through the area.
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